What event(s) have you missed?

[docjames]

What personal events at home have you missed for travel and what were the "repercussions"?

Examples
- Major birthdays of friends and family?
- Funerals? Weddings?
- Graduations? Etc

Other discussion points
- What were the major/minor reasons you "skipped" the event?
- How did the person whose "event" it was react?
- Long or short lasting repercussions?
- How did you react (?guilt, nil issues etc)?


Wondering how we all manage the juggle of work/travel and "home life"?

 

[JohnK]

I guess some of these events are important to people.

Luckily so far so good for me as I have been alone most of my life but that has been changing rapidly recently.

First wedding anniversary coming up and I was not planning on being in Thailand but due to other events have changed some existing travel around so now will be there for first wedding anniversary.

Wife asked if I was going to be there for her birthday in October. Again I had planned not to be there but have adjusted some existing trips so I will be there for the morning only of her birthday so I can come back and work Thursday and Friday otherwise I cannot get award until Friday night which means I lose 2 more days of leave.

I think I will need to plan more carefully in future but it is not always possible to be there for all the "important" milestones.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I don't understand anyone who would expect someone to change their life or their plans to be present for arbitrary milestones like birthdays or anniversaries.
Actually meaningful events like weddings or graduations might be a little different. Although I hate weddings and will do almost anything to avoid them.
But then I have always said to loved ones "If you're sick, I'll fly anywhere to be by your side, but once you're dead, I'm not catching a bus to your funeral.".

 

[docjames]

What about 40/50/60ths etc? Where do they fall compared to
Weddings etc?

 

[esseeeayeenn]

What about 40/50/60ths etc? Where do they fall compared to
Weddings etc?

Utterly meaningless.

And seriously doesn't everyone who actually turns 40, 50 or 60 fervently want to pretend it hasn't happened?

 

[RooFlyer]

Utterly meaningless.

And seriously doesn't everyone who actually turns 40, 50 or 60 fervently want to pretend it hasn't happened?

I don't pretend. I can state categorically the some of those simply haven't happened for me. But I would go out of my way to attend a significant event of a friend if invited.

Back on topic, I missed my niece's wedding because of OS travel for work. I wasn't expected to attend anyway (Tas to Darwin journey ), so no repercussions and I assuaged my guilt with a handsome wedding present.

 

[drron]

Utterly meaningless.

And seriously doesn't everyone who actually turns 40, 50 or 60 fervently want to pretend it hasn't happened?

No.I consider them an achievement.
I do though save people from embarrassment by being a long way from home for those.60-Mt.Isa,65 Commonwealth Bay,Antarctica,70-will be Bangkok.

 

[sausagefingers]

Missed my Dads 70th a few years ago, we were in Florida taking the girls to DisneyWorld.
He didn't mind at all, he was happy that his grandchildren were having the chance to see the world. Travelling is one of his loves and he is proud to have passed it on to me.

 

[Anna]

Funnily enough, work planning retreats and training weekends are usually what are scheduled for times when I just coincidentally happen to be travelling

 

[UP4014]

I missed a funeral of a close relative while in Africa and often think of it and I should have been there. Weddings on the other hand I can never seem to get out of and wish I could.

Matt

 

[Warks]

Quite a few a long time ago. My sister's 21st - was in Spain and tried to ring but the Spanish phone system and my lack of Spanish meant I never got through (this was in the pre-internet dark ages). Took about ten years to hear the end of that! (the fact I didn't call).

Several weddings of friends back in Australia while on the same long backpacking trip. No problem.

Missed my firstborn's first day of school when I had to be at a conference in Melbourne. That one bothered me more than any other.

Missed various family birthdays over the years. My problem is that I don't care about my own birthday (what did I ever do?) so I don't care all that much about others' special days. The kids are a different matter of course.

Away for Christmas a couple of times before I was married. They were actually the most memorable.

 

[MrHyde]

My SO missed a wedding that we were both going to attend in Sydney as her flight was delayed and she ended up missing her connection. I was only going from MEL to SYD, so I made it to the wedding and attending it alone.

The big one though was missing the birth of my first son. I was in WLG when I got the call - got on a plane straight away (I was coming back to MEL that day anyway) and the plane got stuck on the tarmac after landing because someone left a truck parked in the wrong spot. It took 30 minutes to get the truck out the way and I missed the birth by 10 minutes.

From my perspective, that was brilliant - no looking at blood, no squeezing tightly of hands - just walk up and be handed a cleaned baby. From my SO's perspective, not so good. Funny thing, I missed the birth of my second son as well even though I was in MEL and had even taken the day off to make sure I was not held up by work.

 

[serfty]

Missed a couple of our Wedding anniversaries due to me often travelling over "cup weekend" in early November.

Also missed my birthday once - left LAX 11PM the day before and arrived in Oz the day after.